'''Beaufort County, South Carolina''' genealogy and family history research guide. Introduces you to county topics such as vital record births, marriages, divorces, and deaths, census, court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.

*From 1800 to 1868 this ''Beaufort County'' was also known by the alias of ''Beaufort District''.

*From 1800 to 1868 this ''Beaufort County'' was also known by the alias of ''Beaufort District''.

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County in South Carolina {{wpd|Lowcountry}}.

County in South Carolina {{wpd|Lowcountry}}.

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{{SCDC}}

{{Infobox U.S. County

{{Infobox U.S. County

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== County Courthouse ==

== County Courthouse ==

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<div style="width: 147%; float: left">

{{SCBeaufortCourthouse}}

{{SCBeaufortCourthouse}}

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*'''1912''' - [[Jasper County, South Carolina|Jasper]] created from Hampton and Beaufort counties.

*'''1912''' - [[Jasper County, South Carolina|Jasper]] created from Hampton and Beaufort counties.

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For more information as well as maps of Beaufort County through time, see the [http://archives.sc.gov/formation/ South Carolina State Archives] or [http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps/sc-maps.html South Carolina County Maps and Atlases].

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For more information as well as maps of Beaufort County through time, see the [http://archives.sc.gov/formation/ South Carolina State Archives] or For animated maps illustrating South Carolina county boundary changes, [http://www.mapofus.org/southcarolina/ "Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps"] (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

==== County Seat ====

==== County Seat ====

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==== Record Loss ====

==== Record Loss ====

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Beaufort suffered a major loss in February 1865 after records had been removed to Columbia for safety and subsequent losses during Reconstruction. Deed books in particular have suffered heavy losses.

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Beaufort suffered a major loss in February 1865 after records had been removed to Columbia for safety and subsequent losses during Reconstruction. Deed books in particular have suffered heavy losses. For a list of record loss in South Carolina counties see: [http://www.genealogyinc.com/southcarolina/sc-counties.html#courthouse South Carolina Counties with Burned Courthouses]

== Places/Localities ==

== Places/Localities ==

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== Resources ==

== Resources ==

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[[Image:Scbeaufort.jpg|thumb|right|400px]]

==== Research Guides ====

==== Research Guides ====

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The following Beaufort County church records have been indexed on the [http://www.familysearch.org International Genealogical Index]:<ref>Hugh Wallis, [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbersNA/SPSouth_Carolina.htm ''IGI Batch Numbers for South Carolina, USA,''] accessed 14 September 2010.</ref>

The following Beaufort County church records have been indexed on the [http://www.familysearch.org International Genealogical Index]:<ref>Hugh Wallis, [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbersNA/SPSouth_Carolina.htm ''IGI Batch Numbers for South Carolina, USA,''] accessed 14 September 2010.</ref>

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{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" width="100%"

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{| width="100%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"

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| '''Church'''

| '''Church'''

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| Prince William's Parish (Sheldon Church)

| Prince William's Parish (Sheldon Church)

| 1825-1873

| 1825-1873

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| C506571

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| {{IGI|C506571}}

| 1826-1876

| 1826-1876

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| M506571

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| {{IGI|M506571}}

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| St. Helena's Parish

| St. Helena's Parish

| 1683-1822

| 1683-1822

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| C506581

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| {{IGI|C506581}}

| 1683-1822

| 1683-1822

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| M506581

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| {{IGI|M506581}}

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| Stoney Creek (Independent Congregational Church)

| Stoney Creek (Independent Congregational Church)

| 1744-1756

| 1744-1756

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| C506591

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| {{IGI|C506591}}

| 1744-1756

| 1744-1756

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| M506591

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| {{IGI|M506591}}

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*Marscher, Fran Heyward.&nbsp;''Remembering the Way it was&nbsp;: at Beaufort, Sheldon and the Sea Islands&nbsp; ''(Charleston, South Carolina&nbsp;: The History Press, c2006), 126 pages. A collection of oral histories. Book at {{FHL|1404200|item|disp=FHL 975.799 H2mf}} and [http://www.worldcat.org/title/remembering-the-way-it-was-in-beaufort-sheldon-and-the-sea-islands/oclc/68416744&referer=brief_results Other Libaries]

*Marscher, Fran Heyward.&nbsp;''Remembering the Way it was&nbsp;: at Beaufort, Sheldon and the Sea Islands&nbsp; ''(Charleston, South Carolina&nbsp;: The History Press, c2006), 126 pages. A collection of oral histories. Book at {{FHL|1404200|item|disp=FHL 975.799 H2mf}} and [http://www.worldcat.org/title/remembering-the-way-it-was-in-beaufort-sheldon-and-the-sea-islands/oclc/68416744&referer=brief_results Other Libaries]

*Pearson, Elizabeth Ware.&nbsp;&nbsp;''Letters from Port Royal, 1862-1868''&nbsp;&nbsp; (New York, New York&nbsp;: Arno Press, Inc., 1969), 345 pages. Letters from Port Royal written at the time of the Civil War. Experiment in freedom for 10,000 slaves. Book at {{FHL|63929|item|disp=FHL 975.799 F2L}} , [http://www.worldcat.org/title/letters-from-port-royal-1862-1868/oclc/491026178&referer=brief_results Other Libraries]

*Pearson, Elizabeth Ware.&nbsp;&nbsp;''Letters from Port Royal, 1862-1868''&nbsp;&nbsp; (New York, New York&nbsp;: Arno Press, Inc., 1969), 345 pages. Letters from Port Royal written at the time of the Civil War. Experiment in freedom for 10,000 slaves. Book at {{FHL|63929|item|disp=FHL 975.799 F2L}} , [http://www.worldcat.org/title/letters-from-port-royal-1862-1868/oclc/491026178&referer=brief_results Other Libraries]

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*Rowland, Lawrence S.&nbsp;''&nbsp;The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina''&nbsp; (Columbia, South Carolina&nbsp;: University of S.C., c1996), 521 pages. Three historians of the Palmetto State recount more that three centuries of Spanish and French exploration, English &amp; Huguenot agriculture and African slave labor. Book (Vol.1) at {{FHL|776999|item|disp=FHL 975.799 H2r}}and [http://www.worldcat.org/title/the-history-of-beaufort-county-south-carolina-vol-i-1514-1861/oclc/87098952&referer=brief_results Other Libraries].

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*Rowland, Lawrence S.&nbsp;''&nbsp;The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina''&nbsp; (Columbia, South Carolina&nbsp;: University of S.C., c1996), 521 pages. Three historians of the Palmetto State recount more that three centuries of Spanish and French exploration, English and Huguenot agriculture and African slave labor. Book (Vol.1) at {{FHL|776999|item|disp=FHL 975.799 H2r}}and [http://www.worldcat.org/title/the-history-of-beaufort-county-south-carolina-vol-i-1514-1861/oclc/87098952&referer=brief_results Other Libraries].

*Todd, John Reynard and Francis Marion Huston.&nbsp;&nbsp;''Prince William's Parish and Plantations ''(Richmond [Virginia]&nbsp;: Garrett &amp; Massie, c1935), 265 pages. This book portrays the physical development &amp; transition of the Prince William's Parish section of South Carolina from the earliest days to the present and to preserve the old records. Book at {{FHL|1404199|item|disp=975.799 H2m v.1}} [http://www.worldcat.org/title/prince-williams-parish-and-plantations/oclc/3522053&referer=brief_results Other Libraries]

*Todd, John Reynard and Francis Marion Huston.&nbsp;&nbsp;''Prince William's Parish and Plantations ''(Richmond [Virginia]&nbsp;: Garrett &amp; Massie, c1935), 265 pages. This book portrays the physical development &amp; transition of the Prince William's Parish section of South Carolina from the earliest days to the present and to preserve the old records. Book at {{FHL|1404199|item|disp=975.799 H2m v.1}} [http://www.worldcat.org/title/prince-williams-parish-and-plantations/oclc/3522053&referer=brief_results Other Libraries]

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Civil War service men from Beaufort County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies and regiments that were specifically formed of men from Beaufort County.

Civil War service men from Beaufort County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies and regiments that were specifically formed of men from Beaufort County.

Revision as of 16:38, 10 March 2014

Beaufort County, South Carolina genealogy and family history research guide. Introduces you to county topics such as vital record births, marriages, divorces, and deaths, census, court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.

From 1800 to 1868 this Beaufort County was also known by the alias of Beaufort District.

History

The county was named for Henry Somerset, second Duke of Beaufort (1684-1714), one of the Lord Proprietors of South Carolina. Beaufort was once home to a both a French Fort (built 1562) and a Spanish fort (built 1566), neither of which survived.[1] Learn more about the history of Beaufort County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.

County Seat

County Pronunciation

Record Loss

Beaufort suffered a major loss in February 1865 after records had been removed to Columbia for safety and subsequent losses during Reconstruction. Deed books in particular have suffered heavy losses. For a list of record loss in South Carolina counties see: South Carolina Counties with Burned Courthouses

The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Beaufort County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see South Carolina Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

Court

DNA

DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Charleston County residents. FamilySearch has not independently verified the lineages of those tested.

Genealogy

More than 25 genealogies have been published about Beaufort County families. To view a list, visit Beaufort County, South Carolina Genealogy.

Historic Residences

Land

Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about types of land records see South Carolina Land and Property.

Tracing records through South Carolina county and district changes can be difficult. In general, for earliest records begin by searching the Charleston District, then your ancestor’s residential district, then neighboring districts, then the residential county, then neighboring counties. Not all districts and counties kept records. The following chart show where you may best expect to find land records for Beaufort County:

Tracing Land Currently in Beaufort County with Parent Counties and Districts[7]

Date

Government Office

1868-present

Beaufort County

1865-1868

Beaufort District

1769-1865

Records Lost *

1710-1769

Charleston District

1670-1710

Proprietary Land Grants

* Beaufort District records destroyed by fire

Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants

Sherrard, Thomas H. A Working Plan for Forest Lands in Hampton and Beaufort Counties, South Carolina. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1903. Digital version at Google Books.

Local Histories

Dabbs, Edith M. Sea Island Diary : a History of St. Helena Island (Spartanburg, South Carolina : Reprint, 1983, c1983), 285 pages. History of Penn School and St. Helena Island, showing the inseparably interwoven heritage of blacks and whites together. Book at FHL 975.799 H2d and Other Libraries

Johnson, Guion Griffis. A Social History of the Sea Islands With Special Reference to St. Helena Island, South Carolina (New York, New York : Negro Universities Press, 1969), 245 pages. Sea Islands during the Federal Occupation throughout the Civil War and Negro culture on St. Helena Island. Book at FHL 975.799 H2j and Other Libraries

Marscher, Fran Heyward. Remembering the Way it was : at Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Daufuskie (Charleston, South Carolina : The History Press, c2005-c2007), 190 pages. A collection of oral histories. Book at 975.799 H2m v.1 and Other Libraries.

Marscher, Fran Heyward. Remembering the Way it was : at Beaufort, Sheldon and the Sea Islands (Charleston, South Carolina : The History Press, c2006), 126 pages. A collection of oral histories. Book at FHL 975.799 H2mf and Other Libaries

Pearson, Elizabeth Ware. Letters from Port Royal, 1862-1868 (New York, New York : Arno Press, Inc., 1969), 345 pages. Letters from Port Royal written at the time of the Civil War. Experiment in freedom for 10,000 slaves. Book at FHL 975.799 F2L , Other Libraries

Rowland, Lawrence S. The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina : University of S.C., c1996), 521 pages. Three historians of the Palmetto State recount more that three centuries of Spanish and French exploration, English and Huguenot agriculture and African slave labor. Book (Vol.1) at FHL 975.799 H2rand Other Libraries.

Todd, John Reynard and Francis Marion Huston. Prince William's Parish and Plantations (Richmond [Virginia] : Garrett & Massie, c1935), 265 pages. This book portrays the physical development & transition of the Prince William's Parish section of South Carolina from the earliest days to the present and to preserve the old records. Book at 975.799 H2m v.1Other Libraries

Maps

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Beaufort County for European settlers included:[8]

Revolutionary War

Barnwell, Robert. An Oration, Delivered before the Philomathean Society and Inhabitants of Beaufort, South Carolina, on Monday, July 4, 1803, In Commemoration of American Independence. Charleston, S.C.: John J. Evans & Co., 1803. Digital version at Google Books.

Civil War

Civil War service men from Beaufort County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies and regiments that were specifically formed of men from Beaufort County.

Pearson, Elizabeth Ware, Letters from Port Royal, 1862-1868 (New York, New York : Arno Press, Inc., 1969), 345 pages. Letters from Port Royal written at the time of the Civil War. Experiment in freedom for 10,000 slaves. Book at FHL 975.775 H2t , Other Libraries

Johnson, Guion Griffis. A Social History of the Sea Islands With Special Reference to St. Helena Island, South Carolina (New York, New York;: Negro Universities Press, 1969), 245 pages. Civil War pages start on 154. Sea Islands during the Federal Occupation throughout the Civil War and Negro culture on St. Helena Island. Book at FHL 975.799 H2j and Other Libraries

Newspapers

Eighteenth-century South Carolina newspapers contain a wealth of information about residents. The Early South Carolina Newspapers Database (ESCN Database) has created an every-name index to the three largest newspapers for the years 1732 to 1780. Using their free online Surname Database , researchers may order a list of specific newspaper references from the organization for a very reasonable rate.

The Beaufort County Library has created a Newspaper Obituary Index. The Index is drawn from the library's microfilmed collection. Also included are some local newspapers that were started in 2006--Beaufort Today, Bluffton Today, and Hilton Head Island Today--these are not in the microfilm archives, they are just published in an online version as the source.

Currently, the obituary index contains 18,794 records from 18 Beaufort County newspapers from 1862 and May 15, 1984 and October, 2007 to the present. This is an ongoing project and records are being added on a regular bases. This link is a Beta version at the moment. The site includes instructions on how to secure copies if you locate your ancestor. This index has been compiled independently by volunteers and the staff at the Beaufort County Library! The link will lead you to the index and you can click the "Obituary Index Beta Version" link located in the middle of the page. What a great asset to those doing research in Beaufort County.

Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Beaufort County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.

Periodicals

Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:

Carolina Herald and Newsletter

Probate

Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”[9] Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina.

Taxation

Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Beaufort County.

An interesting article about the intersection of free blacks and tax collecting in the county was published in 2006:

Published abstracts

Vital Records

Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section, when applicable.

Birth

State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Beaufort County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Marriage

In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

Archives, Libraries, and Museums

Family History Centers

The library is a certified branch facility of the Family History Library and you can order microfilm and microfiche maintained by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Libraries

Beaufort County Public LibraryAddress:311 Scott St.Beaufort, SC 29902Telephone: (843) 255-6456FAX: (843) 470-6541Hours: Monday - Thursday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Frriday - Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sunday: CLOSED Collections:Beauford District Collectionpreserves, maintains and makes accessible a research collection of permanent value that records the history of the area of lowcountry South Carolina known as the old historic Beaufort District. It is intended to be used by customers who perform their own research. The BDC Research Room provides access to some of its materials and services through the “Virtual BDC,” the BDC web pages, the Online Obituary Index, the Phosphate, Farms, and Family digital collection, and the Connections blog.

They present programs about local history, archaeology, and our coastal environment, including the occasional instructional session about how to perform historical and/or genealogical research. The BDC Research Room welcomes all visitors and researchers over the age of 12 years. It has space for up to 6 researchers at a time. Group visits must be scheduled in advance realizing they may not be able to accommodate a request.

Services: Microfilm readers, computers, high-speed Web service, major online databases at Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com, and HeritageQuest.com through the Library’s network. The Library offers educational programs and publishes The Heritage Observer, a newsletter, and Glimpses,The library is a certified branch facility of the Family History Library.

The Heritage Library is a private reference library and research center which is open to the public. It is one of the most comprehensive libraries of its kind in the region, with and collections of books, microfilm, microfiche, CD-ROM, manuscripts, periodicals, video tapes, audio tapes, and maps. South Carolina materials account for about 10 percent of the holdings. The balance covers other states and many countries.Online catalogCollections: Collections include the records of The Hilton Head Island Historical Society containing a wealth of historical information, old photographs, and maps of Hilton Head Island and the Low Country. Also included is census data collected by the State of South Carolina immediately following the Civil War. The Library has a continually-growing collection of histories of the plantations that existed on the island, and such ongoing projects as indexing maps, land certificates and indentures, and the collection of material on Colored Troops from pension and other records

↑Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 847-61. (FHL Book 973 D27e 2002) WorldCat entry., and William E. Myer, Indian Trails of the Southeast. (Nashville, Tenn.: Blue and Gray Press, 1971), 12-14, and the book's pocket map "The Trail System of the Southeastern United States in the Early Colonial Period" (1923). (FHL Book 970.1 M992i) WorldCat entry.